Window regulator



J. PICKLES WINDOW REGULATOR Jam: 8, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 13, 1959 JQ PH GKLES J. PICKLES WINDOW REGULATOR Jan. 8, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15, 1959 INVENTOR. WEPH ICKLES ATTOR EYS 3,072,395 WINDOW REGULATOR Joseph Pickles, Dearborn, Mich, assignor to Form Stamping Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Apr. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 805,909

3 Claims. (Cl. 268126) -window regulator mechanism comprising movable elements mounted for swinging movement on panel structure including embossed bearing areas on the panel structure providing support for the movable elements.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide window regulator mechanism comprising a pair of window adjusting arms mounted for rocking movement about fixed pivots and interconnected to provide timing of the movement thereof, in combination with an actuating arm having a driving connection with an arm on one of said window adjusting arms, and arranged to provide a maximum torque when the window adjusting arms are moving the window to fully closed position.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the window regulator mechanism, with parts broken away.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1, with the parts in a slightly different position.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 3-3, FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 44, FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 5--5, FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 6-6, FIGURE 1. 4

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 7-7, FIGURE 1. v

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 8--8, FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional view'on the line 9-9, FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the window regulator mechanism comprises a pair of mounting plates 10 and 12 adapted to be attached to the interior of a hollow door or body panel on an automotive vehicle. The particular window regulator mechanism illustrated herein is designed for manual operation but it will of.course be apparent that certain features of it are equally applicable for use in power window regulators.

The plate 10, as best seen in FIGURE 7, includes lateral mounting flanges 14 and 16 and an intermediate offset portion 18 provided with a circular embossment 20 surrounding an opening 22 for receiving a pivot mounting element subsequently to be described.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, the pivot mounting means referred to comprises a pin 24 extending through the opening 22 having a flange 26 bearing against the annular area of the plate 10 surrounding the opening. The plate 10 as previously described, is provided with the annular embossment 20 surrounding the opening 22. Fixedly secured to the pin 24 is a gear sector 28 and the sector is rigidly connected to the pin 24, together with an actuating arm 30 by a rivet head 32 provided on the pin. The

ited States Patent 0 3,072,395 Patented Jan. 8, 1963 pin 24 is connected to the usual coil counterbalance spring a portion of which is indicated at 33. The arm 30 is connected to the sector 28 by rivets 34. As a result of this construction the pin is retained in position in the opening by engagement of its flange 26 at one side of the opening and by engagement of an annular zone of the sector 28 with the embossment 20 at the other side of the plate.

Adjacent its one edge the plate 10 is provided with an enlarged opening 36. The opening is formed by striking out and simultaneously extruding and shaping a punched out shaft support portion 38. A domed cover 40 is provided and riveted or welded to the plate 10, as indicated at 42, and together with the punched out portion 38 forms a housing for transmission means.

Specifically, the transmission means comprises a shaft 44 having a squared end portion 46 for engagement with an operating handle or other driving means. The shaft 46 includes a flange 48 bearing against the inner surface of the cover 40' adjacent an opening 50 therein. Rigidly connected to the portion of the shaft 44 within the housing is a driving pinion 56. As best seen by comparing FIGURES 1 and 3, the shaft 44 and hence the pinion 56 extends at a small angle, as for example about 8 degrees, to the plane of the intermediate offset portion 18 of the plate 10. Accordingly, for cooperation with spur teeth 58 on the sector 28, the teeth of the pinion 56 will be 8 degrees helical teeth. 7

From the foregoing it will be observed that rotation of the shaft 44 by suitable means such as an operator actuated crank results in swinging movement of the arm 30 about the axis of the pin 24.

The sector 28 is provided with an abutment formed by a washer 60 carried by a rivet 62 and is engageable with an adjustable abutment element 64 carried by the plate 10 andclamped in adjusted position by a clamp-.

ing nut 66 carried by a threaded portion of the adjustable abutment.

The mounting plate 12 which is also of generally rectangular form, comprises a pair of flanges 70 and 72 and a laterally offset intermediate portion 74 provided with a pair of pivot mountings which may be substantially identical. One of the pivot mountings comprises an opening 76 formed in the intermediate offset portion 74 of the plate surrounded by an annular bearings embossment 78. Riveted or otherwise fixedly secured in the opening 76 is a pivot mount 80 which includes an annular flange 82 beneath which is received a spring washer 84 which resiliently presses a window regulating arm 86 against the annular bearing embossment 7-8. At one end the arm 86 includes a pin 88 movable in a horizontally elongated slot provided at the lower edge of a window frame. The arm 86 includes an oppositely extending portion provided with an elongated slot 90 which receives a bearing 92 carried by a rivet connection 94 to the actuating arm 30.

A second pivot connection is indicated generally at 96 and mounts the second window actuating arm 98 also having a pin 100 at its outer end movable in a slot 102 provided in the bottom of the window frame (not shown).

Means are provided for insuring properly timed movement of the window regulating arms 86 and 98 and comprises a pin connector 104 on the arm 86 slidably received in an elongated curved slot [106 provided in the arm 98. It will thus be seen that swinging movement of the arm 86, as occasioned by movement of the actuating arm 30*, results in properly timed swinging movement of the arm 98, due to the coaction between the pin 104 and the slot 106.

The intermediate offset portion 18 of the plate 10 is provided with special bearing means comprising elongated embossments or gear engaging guide projections 3 108 and 110, which as best seen in FIGURES 4 and 5 are engageable with a side of the sector 28 at opposite sides of its zone of engagement with the driving pinion 56. At the same time the punched out portion 38 includes an inwardly extending bearing portion or gear engaging guide area 112 which is normally slightly spaced from or may engage the side of the sector 28 opposite to the side engaged by the guide projections 108 and 110. Thus, the sector is supported by limited area bearing portions at opposite sides thereof in the zone of its meshed engagement with the driving pinion 56.

Attention is drawn to the fact that with the parts in the position illustrated in FIGURE 1, the window regulating arms 86 and 98 are in their uppermost position so that the window is closed. It is a matter of common knowledge that the greatest effort in moving Windows in automotive vehicles is encountered in the upper portion of the range of movement, when the upper edge of the window is engaging into the slot provided in the window frame. The present construction provides for greatest mechanical advantage at this time. This will be apparent when it is observed that the actuating arm 30 extends nearly perpendicular to the portion of the regulating arm 86. Under these circumstances movement of the pin 94 in the slot 90 is initially at a very small angle to the slot so that a maximum effort is obtained.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved window regulator in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Window regulator mechanism for raising and lowering a window comprising a pair of mounting plates, a relatively large gear member pivotally mounted on a fixed pivot post on one of said plates, a toothed driving member pivoted to said one plate and meshed with said gear member, said one plate having a pair of gear engaging guide projections adjacent the periphery of the gear member close to and at opposite sides of a line joining the axes of said gear member and said driving member, means carried by said one plate including a gear engaging guide area located adjacent the periphery of said gear member between said guide projections and at the opposite side of said gear member, a first regulator arm pivotally connected at one end on a fixed pivot on the other of said plates and adapted to be connected on its opposite end to the window, a second regulator arm having an intermediate part pivotally connected to another fixed pivot on said other plate and adapted to be connected on one end to the Window, said fixed pivots being separate from said gear member, ,said first and second regulator arms being crossed and having interacting cam means therebetween to control the relative movement between said regulator arms, said interacting cam means including a pin connector on one of said regulator arms and a groove in the other of said regulator arms, an actuating arm mounted on the fixed pivot post of said gear member, a pin-and-slot connection between said actuating arm and the opposite end of said second regulator arm, the slot of said connection extending nearly parallel to the direction of instantaneous movement of said pin when said regulator arms are in the position in which the window actuated thereby is closed to provide maximum mechanical advantage in completing closure or initiating opening movement of the window, said toothed driving member being effective to rotate said gear member and swing said actuating arm about said fixed pivot post.

2. The window regulator mechanism define-d in claim 1 wherein said fixed pivots lie on a line which is parallel to the opening and closing movement of the window.

3. Window regulator mechanism comprising a sheet metal plate structure, a relatively large sheet metal gear member pivotally mounted on a fixed pivot post on said structure, a toothed driving member pivoted to said plate structure and meshed with said gear member, said plate structure having a pair of gear engaging guide projections adjacent the periphery of the gear member close to and at opposite sides of a line joining the axes of said gear member and said driving member, means carried by said plate structure including a gear engaging guide area located adjacent the periphery of said gear member between said guide projections and at the opposite side of said gear member, pivot means on said plate structure for supporting a pair of regulating arm members, said regulating arm members being crossed and having interacting cam means therebetween to control relative movement between said regulating arm members, means mounting an actuating arm member on said fixed pivot post, said pivot means comprising pins extending through registering openings in said plate structure and in said regulating arm members, embossments in said plate structure at least partly surrounding and closely adjacent to the aforesaid openings, said pins including spaced abutments connecting said plate structure and regulating arm members together with said regulating arm members in limited area contact with said embossments, a pin-and-slot connection between said actuating arm member and one of said regulating arm members, the slot of said connection extending nearly parallel to the direction of instantaneous movement of the pin of said connection when said regulating arm members are in the position in which a window actuated thereby is closed to provide maximum mechanical advantage in completing closure or initiating opening movement of the window, said toothed driving member being effective to rotate said gear member and swing said actuating arm member about said fixed pivot post.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,331,260 Wiseman Oct. 5, 1943 2,552,671 Floraday May 15, 1951 2,679,392 Brundage May 25, 1954 2,768,532 Russell Oct. 30, 1956 2,925,268 Pierce Feb. 16, 1960 

1. WINDOW REGULATOR MECHANISM FOR RAISING AND LOWERING A WINDOW COMPRISING A PAIR OF MOUNTING PLATES A RELATIVELY LARGE GEAR MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON A FIXED PIVOT POST ON ONE OF SAID PLATES, A TOOTHED DRIVING MEMBER PIVOTED TO SAID ONE PLATE AND MESHED WITH SAID GEAR MEMBER, SAID ONE PLATE HAVING A PAIR OF GEAR ENGAGING GUIDE PROJECTIONS ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY OF THE GEAR MEMBER CLOSE TO AND AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF A LINE JOINING THE AXES OF SAID GEAR MEMBER AND SAID DRIVING MEMBER, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID ONE PLATE INCLUDING A GEAR ENGAGING GUIDE AREA LOCATED ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID GEAR MEMBER BETWEEN SAID GUIDE PROJECTIONS AND AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID GEAR MEMBER, A FIRST REGULATOR ARM PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ONE END ON A FIXED PIVOT ON THE OTHER OF SAID PLATES AND ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED ON ITS OPPOSITE END TO THE WINDOW, A SECOND REGULATOR ARM HAVING AN INTERMEDIATE PART PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO ANOTHER FIXED PIVOT ON SAID OTHER PLATE AND ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED ON ONE END TO THE WINDOW, SAID FIXED PIVOTS BEING SEPARATE FROM SAID GEAR MEMBER, SAID FIRST AND SECOND REGULATOR ARMS BEING CROSSED AND HAVING INTERACTING CAM MEANS THEREBETWEEN TO CONTROL THE RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID REGULATOR ARMS, SAID INTERACTING CAM MEANS INCLUDING A PIN CONNECTOR ON ONE OF SAID REGULATOR ARMS AND A GROOVE IN THE OTHER OF SAID REGULATOR ARMS, AN ACTUATING ARM MOUNTED ON THE FIXED PIVOT POST OF SAID GEAR MEMBER, A PIN-AND-SLOT CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID ACTUATING ARM AND THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID SECOND REGULATOR ARM, THE SLOT OF SAID CONNECTION EXTENDING NEARLY PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF INSTANTANEOUS MOVEMENT OF SAID PIN WHEN SAID REGULATOR ARMS ARE IN THE POSITION IN WHICH THE WINDOW ACTUATED THEREBY IS CLOSED TO PROVIDE MAXIMUM MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE IN COMPLETING CLOSURE OR INITIATING OPENING MOVEMENT OF THE WINDOW, SAID TOOTHED DRIVING MEMBER BEING EFFECTIVE TO ROTATE SAID GEAR MEMBER AND SWING SAID ACTUATING ARM ABOUT SAID FIXED PIVOT POST. 